


and the sun still rises

by cinnamorose



Series: sixty/and the sun still rises [2]
Category: Uta no Prince-sama
Genre: Fluff, M/M, Marriage Proposal, Relationship Advice, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, except it fucking SUCKS, implied/referenced previous self-harm, like THANKS ranmaru and camus, the plot of this story is just cuteness, this is the sequel to sixty but u dont really need it to understand this
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-02
Updated: 2020-11-02
Packaged: 2021-03-08 21:22:28
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,367
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27353416
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cinnamorose/pseuds/cinnamorose
Summary: One day.Ai questions around the house about what love really is.
Relationships: Camus & Mikaze Ai, Camus/Shinomiya Natsuki (Mentioned), Kotobuki Reiji/Mikaze Ai, Kurosaki Ranmaru & Mikaze Ai, Kurosaki Ranmaru/Ootori Eiichi (Mentioned)
Series: sixty/and the sun still rises [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1997680
Comments: 1
Kudos: 6





	and the sun still rises

**Author's Note:**

> this is just pure cuteness, thats all it is
> 
> WARNING: there is a tiny part of implied previous self-harm. its not explicit, nor is it directly stating it, but it is there

“Reiji.”

“Mmm…?” My fingers trace the man’s cheeks slowly, watching as his eyes open slowly. It’s been a good eleven years so far, and yet I always feel myself soften under that gaze of his. It’s impossibly warm and fond, and now that I’ve grown accustomed to these feelings, I’ve come to accept the affection they bring me.

“You’ve fallen asleep during practice again,” I say, massaging his cheeks between my hands. His eyes close and I let my hands go still, waiting for him to respond before I do anything else. When he shifts around, his eyes opening again to look up at me, I tilt my head. “You know you can’t do that. We have an event in two months, and we need to be prepared for it.”

“I know, but it’s so cozy being snuggled up on my adorable boyfriend!” I pause, squishing his cheeks in between his hands. “Augh! Ai-Ai!” His whine is high and complaining, and he pouts up at me. I’m glad my squishing makes him squeeze his eyes shut, because I don’t know how much I could handle him teasing the way my face undoubtedly went red.  _ Haha, are you alright there, Ai? _ I huff through my nose.

“Get up,” I say, letting go of his face and sliding my hands under him to urge him to his feet. He whines, but eventually at least sits up, stretching his arms upwards and curving his back in an attempt to wake himself up properly. I watch, and my mind eventually wanders to a sweet memory of when I’d covered him in kisses for the first time. To be fair, he had asked for it—quite literally, he looked to me and asked me for a kiss, then another, and another, until I was holding him down as he laughed under me, my lips to his neck with more affection pouring out of me for him alone—but it was still a nice thought.

_ Snap. _ I jump, my eyes focusing on the man. “And you complained at  _ me _ for bein’ outta it!” He teases, leaning in towards me with the widest, most teasing grin he could muster. I huff, turning my head, but I can’t help myself from smiling as he kisses my neck and jaw. “Ai-Ai, c’mon, I’m just playing!”

“Hmm…” I hum, closing my eyes. “No, I don’t believe that.” He lets out a high pitched whine, and I smile lightly, petting his hair. “You are not exceptionally convincing.” 

“C’mon, Ai-Ai! I’m really just playing, I love you! That’s all!” Love… I feel my insides warm a little at the thought of it. Even with all of my personal knowledge—and a few incidents that are somewhat less than pleasant, resulting in overheating and getting close to permanent damage being left behind in a couple of situations—I still don’t understand it all that much. I rest my head on his chest, nuzzling into him softly. “Eh? Ai-Ai? Are you okay…?” His voice changes instantly, from lighthearted to gentle and quiet.

I close my eyes and kiss over his neck. “Hmm… Maybe a break is okay.” I gently pull Reiji onto me as I move around to lay back. “Only a short one, however.”

Reiji whines loudly as he cuddles into me. “Wahhh! Ai-Ai, you’re sending me so many mixed messages here!” He complains. “I never knew my boyfriend was so cruel!”

* * *

“Ranmaru, what is love?”

Ranmaru snorted and rubbed at his face with his full hand. “Hrrmn… Nngh?” It looks like I must’ve woken him up. He’s wearing a shirt I can most definitely tell isn’t his own, one I don’t even think I’ve seen around the house. I narrow my eyes at the shirt. I don’t remember seeing it from anyone in STARISH either… Who the hell’s shirt is this?

“Well, I’ve got two questions. Less pressing, who’s shirt is that?” I ask, leaning over the back of the couch. He mumbles something, a name, and the only part I catch is ‘Otori.’ I frown, looking back down. “… I’m assuming it’s Eiichi’s. More importantly, what’s love?”

“Th’fuck’re y’askin’ me for?” He grumbles, waking up more slowly. “Why’re y’not askin’ Reiji? Yer datin’ ‘im, right?”

“I know,” I say, watching him slowly push himself up to sitting. “But I want to know from someone else, someone that doesn’t bullshit and make things up.” He turns to me, then sighs.

“Shit’s like… I’unno, makes ya happy with the person yer with. Makes ya… Warm, I guess.” It’s clear that, despite the simplicity of my question, he’s unsuited to answering things such as this. My eyes travel down to his shirt.

“You and Eiichi,” I begin, pretending to not notice his expression change to something unreadable, “are you two… Warm, when you’re in love?”

Ranmaru pauses, then looks away. “… Reword that shit, Ai.” I stare at the back of his head, frowning. What could possibly be wrong with how I said it? “I can answer ‘yes’ to all possibilities of what yer meanin’ with it, but just… Reword it ‘fore y’ask it t’anyone else.”

I pause, then nod. I guess… I guess so. “Then, do you feel warm when you think about loving him? Do you feel warm when you think about him loving you back?”

Ranmaru nods a little, rubbing over his neck. “Yeah. Makes me happy, real happy t’be with ‘im. I’m tryin’ t’help his confidence still, ‘n I’m all sortsa proud with ‘im. So, yeah. Guess it does make me warm.” Despite the way he’s turned away, I can tell he’s smiling a little. I nod, pulling away.

Am I warm with Reiji? I know I am, both metaphorically and literally in some cases. I never became immune to his frequently changing antics, no matter how harmless and loving they may truly be in the end, and I often found myself quickly overwhelmed and overheating with certain things he’d gone on with too long. But…

“Thank you, Ranmaru,” I say, turning on my heel. “I have some more questions, but I will not disrupt you from your napping any further.” With that, I take myself down the hall in search.

* * *

I should’ve expected it, knowing who I was looking for, but it still was annoying to have to search for Camus in the house. Every time I expected to have found him in an unsearched room, it appears he’s moved to the next room or something, and I have to search all over again. It’s a good 10 minutes before I finally catch him, and when I do, I hold onto his wrist. “Camus.”

“Mikaze.” He turns to face me, standing still. “Has it been you hunting me down?” I scowl at him, both in annoyance and frustration for how long it’s taken me to find him.

“Yes,” I say, dragging him along to his own room. Might as well, since it’s right next to us. I step over Alexander carefully as he sleeps on the floor, the bright pink and yellow bow wrapped around his neck an obvious reminder of yesterday’s sudden guest. Yanking Camus less-than-ceremoniously onto his bed, I sit down on it, crossing my arms as I watch him.

He’s glaring murder at me, but I could care less about that. “What’s love?” I ask, and immediately his reaction changes. His glare lessens up, transforming into surprise in only a few moments as he shifts around to properly sitting up. As I stare expectantly at him, he clears his throat.

“You wish to know about… Love?” He asks, narrowing his eyes. I nod, and he crosses his arms. Great, here it comes… “Why ask me, rather than your own boyfriend?” I’ve only heard it twice today, but I have to keep myself from groaning in exasperation at the question. Why did they both feel the need to ask stupid questions instead of just answering normally?

“Just help me out here, Camus,” I huff. “I’m coming to you with a serious question, not with a wish for you to sass me about not asking Reiji.” Reiji, my boyfriend… It’s correct, and I know it. But it still fills me with irrational warmth at the thought. “You love Natsuki, right? The two of you are in love? So, help me out here.”

At the mention of his boyfriend, Camus’s mouth snaps shut and he goes quiet, watching me. “… You’re correct about that,” he starts slowly, “I most certainly do love Shinomiya.” I nod, urging him to continue, and he turns his head away. “And… And if you are asking me what it’s  _ like _ , it’s relatively… Comforting, and soft. Sometimes physically, though it’s primarily emotionally fulfilling in those senses.” I narrow my eyes a little. Emotionally comforting and… Soft? I can get the first—there’s several ways you can easily emotionally comfort a person—but soft?

“Soft as in… Romantic?” I ask. “Like, when you’re holding him, or he’s holding you, and you’re kissing?” Camus snorts a little and I feel my annoyance rise again. Is he laughing at me? These are serious questions I have, of a pressing matter.

“In a sense,” he says, patting my head, “though it is not always that innocent. Softness comes with whatever makes you feel as though you are… Floating, I suppose.” Floating? I’ve sang about all of these confusing metaphorical things for years upon years, and yet not once have any of them made a single bit of sense. “It’s sweetness, gentleness, adoration beyond expectations.” Hmm…

I stay still for a while, until Alexander wakes from his nap and comes over to sit with Camus, licking at his palms. “I need to walk Alexander. Hopefully I was capable of assisting you, Mikaze.” He stands, leaving the room after his words. Roughly 32 seconds after him, I got to my feet, making my way out as well.

* * *

“Reiji, can I ask you something?” The man lifts his head to look up at me, smiling softly. I rest my hands on his cheeks, rubbing them softly as I lean down, kissing his lips. “Do you know what love is? I tried asking Ranmaru and Camus to understand more, but they didn’t help me.”

He blinks, staring up at me. “Love, eh?” He asks, pinching my cheek between his fingers. “Does my little Ai-Ai not love me anymore?” His teasing is only met by a pout from me, to which he laughs and takes my face, giving me a soft kiss. “Sorry, sorry! I can’t help but tease my cute boy a little each day!”

“You already did,” I huff, pinching his nose for just a second. “Truly, you’re lucky that I’m in love with you, or else I would have scolded you further for that one.” He whines, swatting my hand away and pouting up at me fully.

“So cold!” He whines, then relaxes. “Hmm… Well, when I think about how I love you, I think about how you make me the happiest I can be.” I nod, running my fingers through his hair as he talks. “I feel like I can really be myself, at my highest points or at my lowest points with you, and I feel like you’re capable of trusting me the same way! At least, I hope so, y’know?” When I nod, he hums, smiling at me. I feel warm… Is this what Camus was talking about?

“And I feel like I’m always comfortable with you, too, y’know? Like, I can be here with you, no matter what happens, and I’ll still be comfortable and okay with it,” he continues, taking one of my hands and holding it. I lace my fingers together with his, my eyes softening as I look down at him. His eyes are squinted just a little, the gentlest smile gracing his lips.

“I get that.” I shift around, urging him to sit up as I slide down further. When I let him lay back down on me, his head comes to lay on my chest, and he lets out a little noise of joy when he rests his ear right over where my heart should be. I have an artificial one, mostly just designed in a similar fashion to a heart, as a protective case around my battery, wires through my ‘arteries’ and ‘veins’ lining through my body beside fake blood tubes, powering my form beneath the surface. As I brush my thumb over Reiji’s, I absently think about how similar our bodies are, and how different they still manage to be.

I bring his hand up to where my other one can reach it, while I keep my arms both around him. Slowly and gently, my fingers trace over his wrists, along his veins carefully. I don’t press down or push any, only glide my fingers over them. Age old marks line them, some drawn on and washed away from the events of today, some cut a little deeper than others from lower points in our lives together, when I can’t reach him in time, when I come home to him feeling guilt and dread and hurting. They’re less than the ones lower on his body, likely due to the work we do and how he doesn’t want to cause any issues… But they’re still there. I frown a little, looking over them.

A hand rests on my cheek and I jump in surprise, turning to look at him. The lamp in the room is dim, and I’m blocking most of it from his face with how we’re laying. Absently, I notice the slight glow of my eyes on his face, and I’m quickly reminded of how different we really are; he’s alive, surviving, and I’m mostly just… Existing. Powered. “Ai-Ai.” My eyes focus again on his face, and I bite the inside of my lip at his worried expression. “What’s the matter?” I move my eyes down to his shoulder, away from his face

“… Nothing,” I murmur, though I don’t sound convincing and I know it. He tilts my head up, forcing me to look at him, and my eyes soften.

“C’mon, Ai-Ai, I know something’s bothering you. What’s the matter, really?” He insists, resting his forehead to mine, and I sigh.

“It’s just the same things as always.” I press a kiss to his cheek. “It’s nothing to worry about.” Despite my words, he turns in my arms, wrapping his around me and pulling me on top of him instead as he rolls us both over. Then, he starts moving me down, resting my head onto his chest. “Reiji, I promise, it’s—”

“Shh.” He puts a finger to my lips, hushing me gently as he strokes my hair. I put it down at night, despite there being no concern for it getting damaged, nor will I ever wake up with headaches or anything from the tension. I quiet down, looking up at him as he holds me, rubbing over my side. “Just listen, okay, Ai-Ai?” I pause, then nod slowly, nuzzling into his chest.

63 beats per minute. His heart is resting calmly, just as relaxed as he is. “Do you hear that?” I nod, closing my eyes as I listen. It’s always a calming thing to listen to for me. As I relax onto him again, he keeps talking.

“That’s the sun in my chest,” he says. “It always makes me warm and happy to see you, because I love you, everything about you. It’s always playing this song, just for you to hear, that lets you know how much I love you.” As he talks, I rest my own hand on my chest. The sun… I don’t get it, but it makes me feel lonely inside, somehow.

“You have a sun, too, Ai-Ai,” he continues, tucking my hair back and tilting my head up, “but it’s a little different. It doesn’t pump blood, but it’s what helps you function, what helps you work. It’s song has different instruments, and it sings differently; rather than beating, it whirs, breathing into you to keep you cooled down enough. Even still, when I hear it, I can hear how much you love me, and I know I’m okay in your arms. I love you, and you love me, and that’s all that’s important to me. Okay?”

I’ve started falling asleep to his words, my eyes closed as I listen. He’s not boring, nor is he tiring; in reality, he makes me warm, happy, and comfortable inside, enough so that I can’t help but find myself dozing off with him. “Okay…” I mumble, quietly yawning, and he laughs a little.

“Oh, Ai-Ai, before you sleep.” I open my eyes, gazing up at him as he shifts around. He’s reaching over to his nightstand—we both have one, ever since I effectively moved into his bedroom—and opening its drawer. I keep my eyes on his hand, at least until he covers them. “Ah-ah! No peeking, it’s a surprise!” I stop, then roll over, nuzzling into his bicep.

It’s a long moment of nothing but rustling around and him mumbling little things as he feels about. I’m about to move off of him so he can sit up and look when I hear him. “Aha, here it is!” His hand rubs over my back before he gently nudges me off. I keep my eyes shut and roll off of him, letting him get out from under me. Then, I hear his knee hit the floor, and my eyes are open.

“Reiji?” I turn immediately, rolling over to see him and coming face to face with a little box in one of his hands. He’s not on the floor like he’s hurt; rather, his eyes are clear, trained on my face, and smiling.

“I want to help you understand love better,  _ really _ understand love,” he says, fumbling with the box a little in his hand. I can’t even speak, though my mouth is open; all I can do is look between the box, then his face, then the box again, and then back to his face. My entire system ‘shut down,’ in a sense, prohibiting me from speaking or thinking upon reason or logic. Over twenty years, thrown out of the window at this tiny little box. “And, in doing that, I want to be closer to you than ever, as close as I can be. I want to be able to show the world the man I love with my whole heart at all times, quietly and loudly all at once, one day, and I just want to ask you one thing.” He carefully opens the box, and if it weren’t for the fact that I was trying to hold back tears already, I’d have probably processed exactly what the ring looks like.

“Ai-Ai, Ai Mikaze, will you marry me?”

I’m nodding, covering my mouth with one fist as I force my breathing to try and steady itself out. My heart feels like it’s on fire, and my head feels like it’s filled with every emotion I’ve ever experienced all at once, all in a jumbling combination to try and help me process this. Is this the happiness that pure love brings, what the joy it gives is? It’s… It’s tiring. I can’t stop myself anymore, and tears start running down my face. “Ai-Ai!” Reiji sets the box down next to me, holding my face and wiping at my cheeks, and I just laugh, leaning into his hands.

“Yes, Reiji, I will,” I laugh, cupping my hands over his. His eyes soften and he leans in, kissing me gently. “I love you, I love you so much. I’ll marry you, I’ll absolutely marry you, Reiji. I love you, I love you so much.” As he rests his forehead to mine, I put my hands onto his cheeks, sliding them up into his hair some to hold him as much as he can. “I love you.” It’s all I can say, all I can think of. My heart is warm, full of adoration, full of joy.

With a hum, Reiji kisses me back. “I love you too, Ai-Ai.” He gives me the softest look with those pretty, warm, loving brown eyes of his.

**Author's Note:**

> they r in love...........


End file.
